Love and Java
by micluck
Summary: Bella, a poor college student, works at a coffee shop to make the bills and pines for the gorgeous boy that sits by the window everyday. With a little help from her Fairy-God-Roommate, Alice, can she get the boy to notice her? AH canon-pairings
1. Mocha Boy and the Three Blondes

Hi everyone! Thanks so much for reading my first attempt at an all human story.

Hope you have as much fun reading as I had writing.

I don't own these fantastic characters, all that credit goes to Stephanie Meyer. I'm just gonna make 'em play my games for a bit!

Happy Easter!

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**Chapter One - MochaBoy and the Three Blondes  
**

**Bella's POV**

He was sitting there again.

Every day this week, and all but one day last week, he'd been in the same seat by the window – little white earbuds in place and the most adorable scowl on his face as he hunched over his notebook.

Mr. Four-Shot-Ten-Pump-Hazelnut-Mocha.

I peaked around the espresso machine I was wiping down and felt my breath catch a little as I watched him run his hand absentmindedly through his bronze, curly hair while he chewed on the eraser end of his pencil. I barely managed to stop the whimper building in my throat watching straight, white teeth sink into the little pink nub.

This was getting out of hand.

I slid back behind the big machine and leaned forward, resting my crossed arms on the counter and bringing my face down on top of them.

I needed to stop this crazy fantasizing. If only he weren't the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen.

He dressed better than most college boys, but he only looked a little older than my twenty years. The white button up shirt he had on today showed off his broad shoulders and his dark-wash jeans clung in drool-inspiring ways to his lean hips and ass. He had his sleeves rolled up, showing a hint of lightly tanned, toned arms.

But the part of him that I found myself staring off into space thinking about, that was now consistently showing up in my dreams, was his eyes.

Thick lashes a little darker than the copper of his hair framed the most beautiful green eyes. Soft green, the kind of green that didn't seem to exist naturally in Phoenix, the color I missed most from my rainy home town of Fork, Washington.

He always came in around 1 p.m., just as the lunch rush was dying down. He'd drop his faded blue backpack on an open table by the window and spend hours nursing his drink while writing in his notebook or working on his laptop. And I'd spend hours trying to keep my eyes off him.

Sighing, I pulled myself upright and went back to the mindless cleaning that filled up the downtime of my shift at Java Jive. As long as there was something to disinfect, I could keep busy enough to not stare at him like a lovesick fool.

I snorted under my breath. Lovesick… that seemed to imply I had a shot in hell. Here in reality-ville – I didn't even know his name. I was a creeper, watching him while he sat there completely oblivious to my existence. As if a man as fantastically dazzling as that would ever notice someone like me.

I had been working at Java Jive for a little over a year, since moving from Washington down to Phoenix and starting at Arizona State University. I grew up living with my dad, Charlie, in the little town of Forks, going to school with the same kids since we were all in diapers. But Charlie had remarried during my senior year of high school, and I had decided to give him and Sue some space. Renee, my mom, had been thrilled at the idea of me moving closer.

But then, Renee was usually thrilled with most ideas until the novelty wore off. Flighty and immature, my mom had left Forks when I was one year old, once the idea of being a mom lost its appeal and she realized responsibility sort of sucked. Little had changed in the interim nineteen years. Renee had quickly tired of the few expectations I had of her now that she lived less than 1,500 miles away, and I didn't hear from her more than once a month. Usually when she needed money.

So I worked at Java Jive an extra day every week, a little sad that I was so desperate for that tiny bit of contact, and missing Charlie and Forks all the more.

The coffee shop was, for the most part, a perfect part time job for a student. Good hours, close to the dorm I lived in, and all the coffee I could ever need – which was usually a lot. The biggest downside – college students.

Though I have been loving my time in school, I know I'm far from your typical student. I'd never really gotten on well with kids my own age. I was fairly young when I realized that I was just… different. A little too serious, too introverted, too lost in my own world. I've made a few friends at ASU, most notably my roommate Alice. But working at the coffee shop, I have to interact with dozens of my fellow students every day.

There were the sorority girls, like wild dogs traveling in packs, showing off being bitches for their friends. They wore too much makeup, too much perfume, and too little of anything else. They took one look at me and a feral gleam would come into their eyes. I figure I'm like prey to them, plain enough to be easily ridiculed and too shy to ever think of fighting back.

And then there were the boys. I refuse to call them men, even in my mind. Their eyes rarely made it above my neck. I had filled out quite a bit since moving to Phoenix, and it seemed most of it went to my breasts. The black polo shirts I have to wear for work had gone from baggy and comfortable in those first months to their current disconcerting tightness across my chest. New bras had been a must, and Alice had been beyond thrilled to force me on that shopping trip. But I didn't want to spend what little extra money I had left after school bills and Renee's crisis moments on new work shirts. So I got ogled. Or, more often, I hunched over a little and pulled my long, chocolate-brown ponytail over my shoulder while they tried to ogle.

He didn't, though. Mr. Four-Shot-Ten-Pump-Hazelnut-Mocha. He was always a perfect gentleman. The first time I had taken his order he had asked for a simpler drink, a plain mocha, and then watched me with the syrups, as if he didn't trust that I would do it right. Now, he just smiled a small crooked smile at me, ordered in his caramel and velvet voice, and then turned his back to look out the big front windows and waited for me to make his drink.

And I would bite my lip while daydreaming about feeling that crooked smile against my mouth.

And on my ear.

And on my neck.

And on a lot of other places.

I scrubbed harder at a nonexistent spot on the stainless steel countertop.

_Focus, stop being a creeper._ Mental pep talks usually meant it was time to restock the pastry cabinet. I sighed again and headed for the walk-in refrigerator in the back, trying to turn my mind to the paper I had due in my Shakespeare class on Monday. It was either that, or plan out ways to lock myself in the walk-in with Mr. Four-Shot-Ten-Pump-Hazelnut-Mocha and offer to keep him warm.

A _ding_ echoed through the back of the shop and I set a box of muffins I didn't remember picking up back on the shelf before heading out of the fridge. I worked the afternoon shift most days, as I had only morning classes this semester. Things were never very busy and it left me with plenty of time to do homework behind the counter. I loved the slow part of the day, but working alone at the front also meant that all the smiling and order taking fell to me when a customer wandered in.

I had only gone a few steps toward the counter when I saw the wall of blonde surrounding my mocha boy. Oh, so now I was getting possessive… shit, I was such a creeper.

There were three of them. Sorority girls to the core, from their barely-there, clingy dresses to the noxious cloud of perfume I could now smell pouring off them. Blecch – it was like getting sprayed in the face while walking through a department store. I could taste it at the back of my throat.

I stopped just behind the big espresso machine, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I could see the whole front from here, but they wouldn't be able to see me. When I saw the first blonde put her hand on my mocha boy's shoulder, I suddenly wasn't sure I wanted to watch at all.

"E, baby," Blonde One cooed down from atop her five-inch strappy sandals. Alice would have loved those shoes. Wait, did she call him E? Like the letter? Weird.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she scolded, tracing one evil looking pink talon along his back and shoulder. Those things looked like they could draw blood. I thought I saw him shiver a little under the touch.

Blondes Two and Three giggled inanely for no apparent reason and he glanced over at them, seeming to notice them for the first time. Of course, he probably hadn't wanted to look away from Blonde One.

She really was extremely pretty. Her long blond hair was flawlessly curled down her back. Her perfectly suntanned skin seemed to glow against the bright pink dress she wore. It was a t-shirt material that clung to perfect curves that would take me hours a day in the gym to achieve – and probably not even then. Between the extremely short dress and the exceptionally high heels, her legs looked six feet long. She leaned forward to rest her clawed nails on the table by his drink, giving him quite the view down the front of her dress, and he seemed to be enjoying the scenery.

Obviously he wasn't always against ogling.

Blonde One gave Two and Three a victorious little smile and tossed her curls. He seemed to realize he was staring down her shirt and brought his gaze up to her face, his cheeks going a little pink.

"Anyway, the movie starts in 30 minutes," she said with another toss of her perfect hair. He stared at her at her blankly for a second, probably still dazed by her boobs, until she spoke again. "We should go. Your brother said he'd meet us there."

The blondes tottered on their too-high shoes toward the door, but Mocha Boy just sat there with a scowl on his face. Blonde One glanced back once and frowned at him.

"Come on, E," she tossed over her shoulder, walking out of the coffee shop.

And my mocha boy… I would _not_ call him by her ridiculous one-letter nickname, even in my mind… my mocha boy packed up his bag and followed after the blonde.

~o~

I don't know what most people do when they need to blow off steam. I know Alice shops, but then she also shops when she's happy. And when she's depressed. And when she's nervous. Or bored. Or pretty much whenever she has spare time.

When I'm worked up – I bake. And within an hour of getting home from work I had the tiny kitchen in the one bedroom dorm apartment I share with Alice completely covered in flour. I was pulling a baking sheet with golden brown chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and replacing it with a sheet full of unbaked mounds when I heard Alice's key in the lock.

"It's open," I called out, setting the hot tray onto the two-burner stovetop and pulling off the oven mitts.

"I wish you wouldn't leave it unlocked. Anyone could just walk in," she muttered, dropping her backpack on the floor and her keys on the little table by the door. She immediately turned around and locked all three bolts on the door.

Alice was a little bit paranoid. We'd met the first week of our freshman year. I'd been sitting on the floor of the hallway outside my dorm room, reading a much-abused copy of Pride and Prejudice.

My randomly assigned roommate Kendra was determined to live out her dream of what it meant to be a college student – which for her meant working her way through the male population at full speed. And usually at top volume.

I looked up when the door across the hall opened a crack. I'd never seen our neighbor, as she'd skipped all the hall activities and never left her door open. So when a small face surrounded by a dark, messy hair peeked around the door, I just stared at her.

"Why are you sitting right outside my door?" she asked, her voice suspicious and her eyes narrowed.

"Uh, I'm actually sitting right outside my door." I didn't think telling her that the hallway was public space was going to go over well.

She glanced up to the corkboard above my head that held a poster with bubbly letters spelling out 'Bella and Kendra'.

"And who are you?" She still sounded distrustful, as if I was going to have to check the poster to get the name right.

"I'm Bella. Kendra's inside, entertaining a… gentleman caller."

Right on cue, the moaning coming from the closed door beside me reached a fever pitch, drowning out the last of my words.

Her eyes got huge and let out a disgusted puff of air after the groans of 'yeah baby' died down.

"That's foul."

I laughed in a short burst.

"You don't know the half of it. I'm just hoping I don't have to sleep on the common room couch again tonight. It smells like feet."

As if my words had urged them on, the noise started up again behind me.

"Oh for the love of…" I dropped my book and rested my head back on the wall. Then moved it quickly when I realize it made the noises more intelligible.

Her tiny nose scrunched up and she pulled her wild, short hair down over her ears like it would help block the sound.

"Oh, come in already." I looked up, shocked, as she held the door open for me.

"Um, okay…" I pushed myself up off the floor and warily walked into her room. It was the cleanest dorm room I had ever seen. It was probably the same size as mine, but with only one bed and everything so tidy it seem like it was twice as big.

"You live alone?" I asked, looking around the immaculate room.

"Yes. Most people are gross. I wasn't going to live with a stranger."

I glanced over at the bizarre girl, and got my first good look at her.

She was _tiny_. She was a good half-foot shorter than my five feet, four inches, and definitely less than a hundred pounds. Her short-cropped black hair seemed to stick out in all directions around her head and her grey eyes looked huge in her small face. Dressed in a light blue tank top and matching silk pajama pants, she could have passed for a twelve year old.

She was watching me look at her, still seeming cautious.

"Thanks for letting me in. I'll try not to be gross."

She grinned up at me, the smile lighting up her entire face.

"I appreciate that. I'm Alice, by the way." She bounced forward and held out her hand to me.

I spent that night on her floor. And the next, when Kendra brought yet another boy back for the night. The next day we went to our RA to get the forms I needed to switch rooms.

It didn't take long to realize that Alice _really_ didn't like people. Particularly men. I was pretty sure there was actually a lot more to it than that, even though we had never talked about it.

Neither of us dated much. Okay, at all. I was just too shy, but Alice's issues seemed to run a little deeper.

It was hard to miss the panic that flashed in her eyes when a guy came too close to her, even accidentally. And, since we shared a room, I heard her crying out sometimes in her sleep. I knew there was more to her anti-social nature than a personality quirk, but I was never going to push her to share what she worked so hard to hide.

So Alice had her cynical attitude and her quippy mantra for any situation involving boys. I'd heard her say it more times than I could count.

_Boys are icky._

Beside me, Alice's only social interaction was with her family. And who was I to judge? Beside Alice, my social life was… no one.

I find it fascinating how much she adores her family. I mean, I love Charlie and Renee, but it was so much work to be around either of them. Maybe it was the shared genetics… The Cullen family had adopted Alice when she was twelve years old, raising her with their two boys.

They only lived about twenty minutes from campus, but her parents had encouraged her to try and be a little more social by moving into the dorms rather than live at home and commute. Even so, she still went home most weekends to spend time with her parents and brothers.

I hadn't met her family. I worked most weekends and had spent summer break up in Forks with Charlie. By the time I got back, her brothers had moved all our stuff into our new dorm apartment and I just needed to unpack. Living together seemed to be the perfect situation for both of us, so we had moved into a slightly bigger place for our sophomore year.

It was nice to have a designated bedroom space, and the kitchen came in handy when I was having a melt down. Like today.

Alice turned back from locking the door and took in the war zone that was our kitchen.

"Oh, sweetie, what happened?" She came around our small kitchen table and pulled out a chair, sitting cross-legged on it.

I moved the cookies from the tray to a cooling rack and set it on the table beside her before sitting in the other chair dropping my head on my arms.

"I had a bad day." My voice was muffled by my sleeves, but she must have understood enough because she hoped off her chair and wrapped her arms around me.

"Do you want to talk about it now, or after we overdose on sugar?" she asked, implying she was going to get the story out of me sooner or later.

"Oh, you'll think I'm stupid." I said, sitting back up and grabbing a cookie. It was too hot, a molten chocolate chip burning my tongue as I bit into it. Alice pulled the other chair closer and sat looking at me expectantly.

"I think that anyway, so you might as well tell me."

I glared at her, but there was no force behind it.

"It has to do with a boy." I didn't look up from the cookie in my hand as I said it. I knew how she would respond. Alice had her mantra.

_Boys are icky._

But she wasn't saying it now. I looked at her, confused. I'd never known her to pass up an opportunity to express her favorite opinion on the opposite sex.

"From a class or from work?" she asked, taking a cookie and nibbling around the edge of it.

I sighed.

"Work. A… customer. He's come in every day for the last two weeks. He sits there for hours."

"And have you ever spoken a word to him?"

She knew me too well.

"Of course."

"Words that did not involve taking his order?"

_Dammit._

"No," I admitted.

"So what happened today to interrupt your normal pining from afar?"

I looked down at my cookie, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"A girl came in and asked him to a movie." I dropped my head back onto my arms.

"Oh, Bella."

I told her the whole story, only leaving out the lurid fantasies, as they would make her shudder. We demolished the rest of the cookies by the time I was done.

"You don't know that Blonde One is his girlfriend. She could just be a friend. Or maybe a bitch he is trying to get rid of."

"You didn't see her. She was… perfect."

Alice snorted.

"Bella, one of these days you're going to actually take the plunge and talk to a boy you like."

"Riiiiiight. I will when you do," I scoffed, then caught the cagey look on her face. "Alice, you're not telling me something."

"Stop trying to change the subject. This mocha boy of yours, you should fight for him if you really want him."

"I'm sorry, did you just say fight?" My laughter spilled out around the words. "You didn't see her claws. I'd bleed out before the ambulance arrived."

"Oh, pfffh. You've got better weapons."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like those." She pointed at my chest and I looked down.

"My boobs?" I asked, incredulously. "She has a pair of her own you know."

"Yeah, and they're probably shiny and new. Maybe even have the price tag still attached. You have a fantastic body, Bella. You just can't bear to let me dress you so that it actually shows."

I scowled at her.

"I've been dressing myself since I was three. I don't need your help."

"Oh, yes you do, if you don't want to die alone! We've got to do something that will inspire a guy to make the first move, even though you've practically got VIRGIN stamped on your forehead."

My jaw dropped and I gaped at her. Where the hell was this coming from?

"Have you ever thought that maybe he wants to get to know you, too?" she asked me, taking advantage of my speechless state. "That maybe you come across as unapproachable, so he doesn't know how to start?"

"Wha… I… huh?"

"You're awesome, Bella. The blonde wouldn't stand a chance if you were willing to go for it."

Alice was encouraging me to… _go for it_?

"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

She made a face at me.

"I know I don't have the… healthiest attitude toward men. But there are bound to be some exceptions to my _boys are icky _policy. And you deserve to be happy."

"Alice, I…"

"Just think about it?" She looked up at me, pleadingly. "I wouldn't want to change much, just some new clothes and a little makeup. Oh, pretty please, Bella?"

Those beseeching eyes were just too much to handle and I could feel a sugar coma coming on anyway. Better to get it over with now, or she'd take advantage of me in my weakened state later.

"Fine," I muttered.

"Yay!" She pulled me out of my chair and danced me across the kitchen. "You won't regret it!"

I already did, but she seemed so happy I didn't have the heart to tell her so. And if there was any chance... well, mocha boy probably wasn't worth it. But maybe, just maybe, I am.

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I'd love to hear what you think! Any guesses as to who Mocha Boy is? *wink*

I'm working on the story from his perspective, too - keep an eye out for that. Any reviewers will get a teaser of the first chapter of his story, so show me the LOVE!


	2. Attack of the Clones

It took every ounce of self restraint in my weak little body to hold this chapter until today. Don't hate me for making you wait! It just means I've spent lots of time on the next installment already.

I'm going to try and post on Wednesdays and Sundays, alternating between Bella and Edward, but we'll see how finals cut into that...

Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer, the truly brilliant one.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

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**Chapter Two – Attack of the Clones  
**

**Edward's POV  
**

She was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.

I watched the girl behind the counter wiping at the front of the espresso machine before she moved further back and out of view. Scowling down at my notebook, I wondered how I had come to this. 'This' meaning the fact that I watched her all day long in the mirrored wall of the coffee shop like a stalker.

A normal person would have walked up to her on the first day and said, "Hi, I'm Edward. Would you like to grab dinner with me sometime?"

But I was obviously not normal. I'd sat here all afternoon every day this week, thinking that maybe I'd work up the courage to say more to her than my drink order. Instead, I was a week ahead on my homework and extremely caffeinated.

I'd stumbled upon Java Jive two weeks ago while looking for a quiet place to kill a few hours between morning classes and my evening lab. It had looked like a nice place – just off campus with big windows that overlooked Tempe Town Lake. And the view of the girl behind the counter was even better.

I've always ordered a mocha when I find myself in a coffee shop, more because I didn't really know what anything else was. Mocha meant coffee with chocolate, which seemed safe enough to me.

One afternoon at Java Jive and I had one of those ridiculous multi-word drink orders that I'd always mocked people for. I'd walk up to the counter and say the only words I could get to come out of my mouth while I was looking into her big, coffee brown eyes – "four shot, ten pump hazelnut mocha." Sometimes I added a "please."

It was disgustingly sweet, but pumping the syrup into the cup made the girl's body move in the best possible ways. I had noticed while she was making my plain mocha on the afternoon I first found the place. But it had been over so quickly. So, I added the hazelnut every other time I ordered. It was the syrup they kept the farthest back on the counter, meaning she had to reach for it.

It was glorious. And I was a pervert.

So many of the girls at ASU were like clones. They had the same bleached hair and tanned skin, all looking slightly malnourished. But my barista girl stood out. Her long hair was a luscious chocolate brown that matched her eyes and set off her fair skin.

At first I wondered how she managed to stay that pale in Arizona, where the sun shines almost every day. Even _I_ had a tan, mostly from weekends spent by the pool with my family. Now I mostly just wondered what my slightly tanned hands would look like against her pale skin.

I couldn't look at her and not think about all the things I'd like to do with that soft body, that plump bottom lip, and those extraordinary breasts that strained against her black shirt.

I'd come by in the morning on the way to class a few times, but she was never working. So I'd stuck with my afternoon routine. I came to the coffee shop straight from Advanced Chem and stayed until I had to run to make my evening lab on time. I'd finish my homework, mess around with writing some music, and watch the barista girl. I'm such a stalker.

She would clean until everything shone and then settle on a stool behind the counter. She had to be a Lit major, with the books she was reading – Shakespeare and Chaucer and Milton. She nibbled on her bottom lip while she read, taking notes in the margins of the book. Sometimes she'd pull out a leather journal – no old-school spiral bound notebook for her – and alternate between staring dreamily out the window and writing furiously.

She wrote with so much concentration that she wouldn't even notice the ringing bell that announced a new customer. She'd look up, startled, when they reached the counter to order, and quickly close the book to put it away. I was desperately curious about what she wrote in that book.

My obsession walked back into view and I quickly dropped my eyes down to my notebook, hoping the exquisite barista girl didn't catch me staring. Again.

The song playing through my earbuds faded out and a jarring alarm sound blared out instead. I'd only assigned that ringtone to one person, as the warning sound seemed a fitting choice.

_Tanya._ I rolled my eyes and hit ignore.

I grabbed my coffee and took a careful sip, almost gagging at the taste. I drank it to punish myself. I had decided that if I was going to order it, I had to drink it. I usually only made it halfway.

The alarm sounded again. _What the hell, Tanya?_ I pulled my headphones out of me ears, just in case she tried again.

I managed to focus on the staff paper that filled my notebook for about five minutes before I allowed my eyes to drift back to the mirror.

She was scrubbing vaguely at the stainless steel counter top, a far away look in her eyes and her mouth slightly parted. _Oh, good lord, I want to sink my teeth into that bottom lip._ She'd be so soft, melting against me as I ran my hands down her back, pulling her deeper into my kiss. She would sigh against my mouth and I'd slide my tongue in between those beautiful lips.

A real sigh broke from her mouth, the slight sound jarring me from my fantasy.

I turned my head so it looked like I was staring out the window, then glanced back when I saw her moving out of sight into the back of the shop.

I needed to pull myself together, or I was going to have to hide my hard-on when I made my way out to my car later.

I pulled out my Advanced Chem textbook and started working on an assignment that wasn't due until after Thanksgiving break. It was complicated enough to distract me from pretty much everything, even my obsession with the barista girl.

The bell over the door rang out and I glanced up.

_Shit! How the hell did she find me?_

I cursed myself for not having noticed Tanya while there was still enough time to hide.

I had become rather adept at avoiding Tanya in the last eight weeks. It was sort of necessary for my sanity after what had happened between us during freshman year. Seeing her now, with my barista girl so fresh in my memory, I couldn't believe I'd ever been dense enough to have a thing for such a vapid bitch.

She'd latched on to me in our freshman orientation class, totally into me from the first day we met, and we'd started dating within a week.

I'd been completely stunned at first. I tend to be kind of shy around girls, lame as that sounds, and none of them had really paid attention to me in high school. And Tanya was hot, in an over-done sort of way. I blame the raging hormones for my stupidity.

Our "dates" consisted of me taking her shopping or doing her homework for her. Whenever I asked if she wanted to do something _I_ liked, she'd kiss me and I'd blush and stammer and gaze at her adoringly as she ditched me.

And that was the extent of our physical relationship. I hadn't pushed for anything more, thinking that maybe the slutty persona she used in public was just an act.

I was wrong.

We'd only been going out for a month when I walked in on her making out with our professor. During his office hours.

It turned out she'd been having sex with quite a few guys from freshman orientation. I was the only one _lucky_ enough to get her company in a vertical capacity instead of horizontal.

The night I'd broken up with her was seared in my memory.

She'd cried, she'd screamed, she'd thrown a table lamp at me…

It had taken more than two hours to get her out of my apartment. But I had never felt more awesome than I did when I told her she'd have to do her own math homework from now on, before shutting the door in her face.

She kept clear of me for the rest of the semester. And as I was majoring in Biochemistry and she was majoring in being a skank, we never had another class together.

When our senior year started a couple months ago, she'd started turning up all over the place, wanting to hang out. It seemed she meant 'hang out' literally, as she clung to me like a succubus until I found a way to extricate myself.

It wasn't hard to figure out what she was doing, now that I wasn't blinded by a little peroxide and tight jersey.

My family is pretty well off – okay, so my dad is nearing the scary level of rich – and Tanya seemed to have decided that she'd make someone a fantastic trophy wife.

Since I had been an easy target before, I was the obvious choice. She was self absorbed enough to think my lack of dating was due to me still being hung up on her, rather than a heavy course load.

"E, baby, I've been looking everywhere for you."

I felt one of her creepy fake nails skim along my shoulder and shuddered. Those things totally freaked me out. They always made me think of a show I'd seen on the nature channel when I was a kid, where vultures had ripped their prey apart with sharp talons.

A peal of vapid giggles came from behind her and I glanced at Irina and Kate in alarm. I was pretty sure random laughter was an early warning sign of insanity. But it had been obvious moments after I had met them three years ago that they shared a single brain cell between them, so it was more likely a symptom of their sheer idiocy.

Tanya leaned over toward me, bringing a cloud of her cloying perfume with her. The front of her top gaped a little and I noticed the way her breasts moved in her dress – a little unnaturally, like an overfilled plastic bag. Nothing like the soul-stopping ripple that made me weak in the knees every time my barista girl made my absurd drink. I wondered why for a second, before the obvious answer came to me.

Implants. Of course. Everything else about Tanya was fake, so a boob job fit right in.

_Oh shit, I am staring down her shirt._

"Anyway," she said as I shot my eyes back up to her face with a blush, "the movie starts in 30 minutes. We should go."

Movie? I never agreed to go to a movie with her and the brain-dead twins. Stuck in a dark place with Tanya? I would be lucky to make it out with my balls intact.

"You brother said he'd meet us there."

Dammit – Emmett. He was probably planning on the wonder twins being his entertainment for the night and wanted me to distract Tanya. Otherwise she might try and shift her attention back to him.

I knew Tanya and Emmett had hooked up a few times after her and I had broken up, even though it had been clear that she was a total bitch. She obviously wanted it to turn into something more, to sink her claws into him for keeps, but even Emmett had standards. Plus, my brother _never_ did long term. He preferred short and messy.

_Dammit Emmett. I so don't want to run interference for you._

It didn't matter what I wanted though. Emmett would get his way, because if I didn't come under my own power he would show up here and force me. And he was built like a tank.

Tanya and her backup clones had almost made it to the door before she realized I wasn't following.

"Come on, E."

I really hated that stupid nickname she'd come up with.

I couldn't very well tell her that no, I wasn't going with her, because I wanted to stay here and stalk the girl behind the counter. And Emmett certainly wouldn't take no for an answer.

I looked over to the mirrored wall, hoping for one more glance of my barista girl, but she was nowhere to be seen.

So I packed up my bag and followed after Tanya.

~o~

"Dammit Emmett!" I shouted into our empty apartment, slamming the door behind me. I dropped my keys and bag on the floor, walked the five steps to our overstuffed sofa, and dropped onto it face first.

I hated my brother, the selfish bastard.

Right now, he was probably in his car in the movie theater parking lot having kinky threesome sex with Dumb A and Dumb B. And I'd been stuck taking Tanya home, alone.

Alone with the succubus.

I moaned into the couch cushion, instinctively curling in on myself to try and protect my vital organs.

The movie had been even worse than I had imagined.

I'd sat at the end of the row and Tanya had claimed the seat next to me, leaving Emmett and his entertainment section to settle in further down.

The minute the lights went down Tanya had edged right up next to me. She wouldn't stop whispering in my ear, her breath hot against my neck and her perfume burning the inside of my nose. Within fifteen minutes her hands had started to wander, and I'd jumped up saying something about popcorn.

I could hear Emmett snicker as I practically ran out of the theater.

I took as long as conceivably possible at the concession counter and adding the largest soda they offered to my order, knowing it would give me another excuse to escape when she started groping again.

I'd kept the bucket of popcorn on my lap to shield my crotch and used the "gotta pee" excuse twice by the end of the movie.

Emmett seemed to be enjoying the night a lot more than I was. I noticed one blonde head drop to his lap while the other one settled in at his neck. The three of them were out the emergency exit five seconds into the closing credits.

And that left me to give Tanya a ride home.

Thankfully, the gearshift kept her in her own seat for the ten-minute drive. I had pulled into her driveway and shifted into park before it occurred to me that I might not be able to get her out of my car.

The thought distracted me so much that her mouth was already fastened onto my neck before I realized she'd moved.

Then those nails had found their way onto the crotch of my pants.

I'd fallen on my ass getting out of car too fast.

_God, those things are scary._

And I still couldn't think of any way to get her out of my car.

"E, baby, come back," she purred, leaning out over me. She was now kneeling on my driver's seat. Escape would be impossible.

I would be lucky if I made it out of this alive.

"Tanya, I've got to get going." _Think, you fucking idiot, come up with an excuse!_

But my mind was blank. It was Friday, so I couldn't claim to have homework due. It was only 7 p.m., so I couldn't fake being tired. "I… I've… got to pick up a friend…. "

_What the fuck? I had no friends! Just Emmett, who was currently making like a bunny with the wonder twins. _

In a flash, I thought of my barista girl. I knew her schedule well enough, stalker that I am, to know that she got off work at seven most nights

"I promised her a ride home from work."

Tanya's face tightened as she looked down at me.

_Shit, I said 'her'. Should have made it a him._

"Fine." She slid one leg out of my car and stood up over me, blocking the sky overhead with the view up her skirt. "Wanna come over after and hang out?"

Hang out? Like hell.

"Oh, uh… no I…. can't. I'm helping her with her math homework tonight," I stammered, scrambling backward and away from the sharp heels on her shoes before pulling myself back to my feet.

She looked at me with narrowed eyes and it occurred to me that the last person I had helped with math homework had been her. I swallowed hard.

"Okay, then," she said, flipping her hair back over her shoulder, and turning to walk toward her door. "See you later, E."

I stared after her for a few seconds before I realized my mouth was hanging open. _That had worked?_ Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, I jumped back into my car, threw it in reverse, and sped out of her driveway.

The coffee shop was in the wrong direction, but I took the detour on my way home. Slim though the chance was, if there was any possibility of seeing my barista girl again today, I was going to take it. I could see she wasn't there from the ten-minute parking space out front, and my mood soured even further as I swung back out into traffic.

Sick of the night playing back at me from behind my closed eyelids, I rolled over on the couch until I was staring up at the ceiling.

"Why can't I just tell Tanya I don't want anything to do with her?" I asked the empty room.

_Because you're a pussy._

Why did the mocking voice in my head always talk like Emmett?

It was right though – I was a pussy. I needed to grow a pair and tell Tanya off before she accidentally castrated me with those nails of hers. Then again, she might still castrate me, but it wouldn't be an accident.

And if I was going to grow a pair, I'd rather use the courage to ask out my barista girl.

My cell started buzzing in my pocket, pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts. I fished it out and glanced down to see who was calling before putting it to my ear.

"Hi, mom."

"Hi sweetie, I'm just calling to check if you're going to make it to dinner tomorrow night."

"Yes, mom, I'm coming."

I always come. But she still always calls to ask, as if she's secretly hoping I have something better to do.

"Oh, good. Your sister isn't coming until around noon, but you can head over whenever you'd like. So, how was your week?"

_Alice isn't spending the whole weekend at home?_ I didn't think that had ever happened before.

"Same old. Classes, studying, you know." Then, because I knew she worried that I didn't get out enough, I added, "Went to a movie with Em and some friends tonight."

Hopefully she missed the choked sound of the word _friends_.

"That sounds like fun. Are you still with him? I tried to call, but I only got his voicemail."

_Consider yourself lucky._

"Nah, we drove separately and then split up after the movie so I could drive Tanya home."

As soon as the words left my mouth I sat up, as if that would make it possible to physically grab them back. There was a clatter on the other end of the phone.

"You went to a movie with _Tanya_?" Loathing dripped from her voice and I dropped my head into my hand.

"No, mom. Well, yes, she was there, but I didn't… _go_ with her. There were a bunch of us. Emmett…."

"I will deal with your brother later." She was furious. She _hated_ Tanya, even though they'd only met once. I had thought she would be thrilled that I'd brought a girl home, but all she'd ever said to me about it was, _"You could do so much better, Edward."_

"I don't need you to deal with Em, mom. There's nothing going on with Tanya." _Aside from the following me around and the groping and the sit-in she'd pulled in my car._ "I just… gave her a ride home so he could go out with the others."

I could practically hear my mother growling on the other end of the line. Desperate for some way to diffuse this, before she chewed Emmett out for not protecting his baby brother from the big bad bitch, the lie I told Tanya sprang into my mind.

"I had to bail on them all anyway. I promised a friend a ride home from work and some help with her math homework."

_I am going to hell for lying to my mother._

Why couldn't I just have stopped with the part about the ride? _Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

I was hitting my forehead with my fist, chanting the word in my head, when my mother's voice cut back in.

"You have a study date?" she asked, her tone careful now. She would be picking out the wedding invitations within the hour.

"No… it's just a girl that works at the coffee shop I go to sometimes. She's having some trouble with her math class and I offered to help."

Oh, this was getting _so_ out of hand. I should have thrown Emmett to the wolves.

"So, I've gotta go now. I'll head over there sometime in the afternoon tomorrow."

_That way I can still spend some time at the coffee shop._

"All right, sweetie. Have a nice night!" She sounded euphoric now. _Dammit._

"Night, mom."

I fell back on the couch, dropping my phone to the floor.

This was not going to end well.

* * *

Mocha Boy and Barista Girl, they sound like bad comic book heroes. No spandex, though... pity.

Again, reviews get rewarded with teasers, so keep them coming. Come on, you know you want it!


	3. Bibbidy Bobbidy Boo

Sorry this is a day late! I got scary sick this weekend and the little writing I did manage mostly had to be deleted. No one wanted to read that. All better now though, and Edward's chapter should still go up on Wednesday.

As always, I can only hope to wallow in Stephanie Meyer's shadow as I make her characters do things my mind dreams up.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three – Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo  
**

**Bella's POV  
**

I felt ridiculous.

Alice had dragged me out of bed insanely early so we could make it to the mall right when the stores opened. At least she'd realized that if she wanted forward motion out of me she had to allow time to stop for coffee on the way.

Two hours of shopping and my brand new work shirt was _still_ too tight.

Admittedly, it was tight in more flattering ways. This shirt cupped rather than flattened my chest, and it nipped in tighter than I was used to down to my waist.

My new jeans were tighter too, clinging all the way down my legs. It actually made them look long, which I hadn't known was possible. There was no hiding the fact that I have an ass and hips, the more form fitting clothes made my body seem more proportional.

I pulled the black t-shirt over my head carefully, not wanting to disturb the rollers Alice had put in my hair. She would kill me if I messed up her work. And she was scary with this new kung-fu fairy-god-roommate persona.

I had spent an hour sitting on a chair in our bathroom while she poked at my face with the torture devices she called makeup brushes. Then came the hair. I told her it was stupid to curl my hair, as I had to keep it in a pony for work. She just stared at me until I capitulated, sinking back into the chair.

I had to admit, the makeup looked amazing. Given how long it had taken, I didn't expect it to look so natural. But when I was finally permitted to look in the mirror, I still looked like me. Only enhanced.

My eyes looked huge, and the brown that I had always thought was plain seemed richer somehow. My pale skin now appeared translucent and glowing. She'd used a tinted lip balm that actually felt really good when I rubbed my lips together and the soft red seemed almost juicy. I glanced at the color name before I slipped the tube in my pocket and winced – Blushing Virgin.

How appropriate.

I glanced at my phone to check the time - 11:35.

"Alice, I've got to go in ten minutes, or I'll be late."

She rushed into our bedroom and shoved me down to sit on her bed. I felt the tug of her hands in my hair as she started carefully removing the rollers. The relief of having my hair free was short lived, as she gathered it back at the base of my neck as soon as it was all loose, fastening it in place with a hair tie. She came around to face me, pulling little strands of hair free around my face.

"Okay, you can look," she said, after taking a moment to admire her work.

I looked… hot.

It took me a few seconds looking at myself in the mirror to come up with the right word, but it was true.

I was hot.

Too pale skin had become luminous. A figure that was usually shapeless under baggy clothes now showed the curves of a woman. Drab brown eyes had deepened to a rich chocolate. Hair that was usually scraped back into a ponytail was fluttering delicately around my face and bouncing against my back when I moved.

"Alice, you are amazing."

"Oh, pffh. It's all you, Bella. I just changed the backdrop a bit. Do you need a ride so you're not late?"

I glanced at my phone again. 11:42. "Nah, I can make it on my bike. I don't want to have to walk back. You're going to your parent's tonight?"

"Yup. I'll see you tomorrow, though."

I slipped into my backpack and grabbed my keys from the table by the door, tossing a "see you" over my shoulder.

The ride to Java Jive was a nice one, even though it was still a little too hot outside. It had been warmer than was typical for mid-November, and I couldn't wait for the mild weather to finally come. I didn't miss the omnipresent rain of the Pacific Northwest, but Thanksgiving was next week and it shouldn't be a ninety-degree day.

I made it to the coffee shop with two minutes to spare, locked my bike up behind the store, and rushed to drop my things in the back.

"Hey Bella." The store owner, Denise, was up at the counter, but the shop was empty. She looked relieved to see me. "Would you mind handling things here by yourself today? It's been really slow, so you shouldn't have any problems."

"Uh, no. I don't mind at all." I'd covered the store by myself before, but Denise usually liked to have a manager here.

"I wouldn't do this to you, but Elliot fell off his bike and my husband thinks he needs stitches."

"No worries, Denise. Go, be with your family." I'd met her four-year-old son a few times when she'd brought him in for the day. If he was hurt, his mom should be there.

"Thanks so much! I'll have my cell handy if you need to reach me." She grabbed her purse and headed out the back door.

Denise had obviously done a lot of cleaning while waiting for me to arrive this morning, so there wasn't much left for me to do.

I made myself a latte, much-needed after my stressful morning, before bringing my school bag up to the counter and pulling out my journal to put some more work into the paper I had started on Shakespeare's tragedies.

I really needed a laptop.

I love to write longhand when it's for fun, but writing an essay for school on actual paper was a pain in the ass. I had a little bit of money in the Renee Fund, but I knew I would be hearing from her before too long and that small amount would most likely disappear. So, for now I tried to resign myself to getting most of the work down on paper and typing things up in the computer lab.

I was doodling swirls into the margin of the journal when the bell above the door rang.

Cool green eyes met mine as I looked up. He was here.

He was more casually dressed than usual today. He had on a black t-shirt that had some boxes on the front that looked like they were from the periodic table. Tan shorts stopped just below the knees, showing me my first glimpse of his legs. The light dusting of hair would feel rough against my much smoother skin.

I caught myself, realizing I'd been staring at him for a good fifteen seconds. Jumping off my stool, I slid my journal into my bag and turned back to smile at him.

"Hi," he said, giving me his little crooked grin that made me think of inappropriate things.

"Hey." _Oh, so clever, Bella._ I reached out to grab a cup. "Same as usual?"

"Yeah, thank you." His grin had turned sheepish.

I had to go up on tiptoes and lean across the counter to get to the hazelnut syrup. I had managed a few pumps when he made a strange, coughing sound in the back of his throat. I glanced over, wondering if he was okay. He was facing the windows like he always did, but his whole body was tensed, as if he was in pain.

"Crap," I muttered, under my breath. He turned to look over at me, curious. "I lost count." I tossed the cup in the garbage and grabbed a new one. His face went blank as I started pumping syrup in the fresh cup, but he didn't turn away this time.

I counted carefully, not wanting to have to start over again, and finished making his drink. He still looked a little dazed when I set it on the counter between us.

"Um, everything okay?" I asked. He was acting really strange.

A quick gust of laughter burst out of him and he smiled at me again. "Yeah, just a little distracted." He pulled a five out of his wallet and handed it to me. "I… I'm Edward. I've seen you pretty much every day for the last two weeks and it's just funny that I don't even know your name."

"It's Bella."

"Pleasure to meet you, Bella," he said, a sparkle in his emerald eyes. Those eyes combined with the sound of my name in his honey-velvet voice rocked me to my core, sending a spasm of heat down low into my stomach.

_I guess this is what people mean when they talk about feeling the earth move. _

I hadn't quite figured out how to make my lips move again by the time he picked up his drink and headed to his usual table by the windows.

_Edward._

_I know his name. Does that make me less of a creeper?_

I really don't think it does. Especially as the only thing I can think of is that now I have a name to go with the fantasies. Now, when I picture my hands buried in his bronze curls and that perfect mouth against my neck, I can imagine moaning out his name.

_Edward._

Shaking aside the daydream, I pulled my notebook back out. One look at my start on analyzing the themes in Hamlet and I knew I wouldn't be able to focus.

_Enough Shakespeare._ I needed something that would make it impossible to let my mind drift. I made a face as I pulled my math textbook, calculator, and notepad from my bag. It was the sort of torture that was guaranteed to keep me from being distracted by anything else. Hopefully even _Edward_.

I was tapping my pen on the paper and glowering down at an idiotic word problem – seriously, it was asking me to calculate the length of fencing for some stupid field – when his voice startled me.

"Are you trying to gouge a hole in that notepad?" I hadn't noticed him getting up so I was surprised to see him standing by the counter again.

I glanced at my notepad and saw that I had been stabbing it with my pen so hard the paper was dented. Knowing he would have been able to hear that from even from his table, I looked up at him apologetically. "Sorry, that must have been annoying."

"Nah, I was just worried for the counter once the notepad lost the battle," he said, his half smile flashing at me. He turned his head a little to the side, reading the title of my textbook. "College Mathematics – so you're a liberal arts major?"

"Yes, English Literature. And for some reason, I still need to know how much fencing a farmer needs for his fields."

His delicious chuckle sent shockwaves through my stomach. I wanted to make him laugh again. It might have to become my main goal in life, right after remembering how to breathe.

"And here I thought that everyone needed to know that." His tousled hair fell across his forehead as he leaned over my book, pulling it around so he could read the problem. He made a scoffing sound in the back of his throat. "They make these questions so unnecessarily confusing. May I?"

His held out his hand and I stared at it for a moment. He bit his fingernails. Long, slim fingers tapered to ragged nails that had been bitten to the nail bed.

"Could I use your pen?" he asked, still waiting with his hand out.

"Oh, uh, sure." I blushed as I put the pen in his hand.

Within minutes, he had drawn a picture on my notepad, showing the important bits from the question and walked me through how to use the picture to find the answer. It actually made sense.

"First time for everything…" I mused, putting the finishing touches on my answer. I glanced up to find him looking at me. "I hate math, and it's never really made sense before."

"Happy to help." He took a breath, as if he was going to say more, but then paused as his phone chimed. He pulled it out of his pocket and frowned down at it.

"Problem?"

"Oh, no. Just my sister." He slid it back into his pocket. "I, uh, if you ever want help… I'm pretty decent at math."

"Thanks," I smiled up at him. "You always seem pretty busy when you're here, though. I'd hate to cut into your study time."

"I really don't mind." His eyes met mine, sincerity shining in their green depths.

"Maybe… well, I have an exam the Friday after Thanksgiving and I'm kind of terrified."

"Let's get you un-terrified, then," he said with a grin. "We could study here, or go somewhere else when you're not working if it's too difficult to focus. I'm pretty free over break."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I'm only scheduled for a few shifts that weekend, so I'll have lots of time."

"Cool, do you think you're okay to make it through the rest of that?" he asked, gesturing to my homework assignment. He probably wanted to get back to his own work, hopefully without my jackhammer pen as background noise this time.

"Oh, sure. I'll just draw pictures, like you showed me."

"Okay, then. I'm here if you need help," he offered, smiling when I nodded.

He settled in by the windows and went back to work and even math wasn't enough to keep my focus from drifting to him every few minutes. An hour later, I hadn't finished a single problem.

I looked out the windows as a flash of movement caught my eye, shocked to see Blonde One walking toward the door. I wouldn't have thought it was possible, but she was wearing even less clothing today than she had been yesterday. A bright pink tube top stopped a few inches down her rib cage, showing at least a foot of stomach above tiny jean shorts. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, drawing more attention to the makeup she'd applied with a _very_ heavy hand. Her lip-gloss had to be a quarter inch thick.

The ring of the bell on the door brought Edward's head up and his mouth dropped open.

Maybe it was just Alice's voice echoing in my head, but he certainly didn't seem happy to see her. The look on his face was more mixture of horror and disbelief.

"Tanya, what the –"

"Heya, baby. Miss me?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him and plopped down in the other chair at his table. She ran a critical eye around the shop, while Edward appeared to pull himself together.

"Does this place have anything good?" she asked, sounding doubtful.

"Uh, the coffee..."

"Ooooh, what are you drinking?" Without waiting for his answer, she grabbed his cup off the table and took a sip, leaving a smear of her pink lip-gloss on the lid.

"Ew." The word came out in three syllables as she set the cup back in front of him with a disgusted expression. "What the hell is that, E?"

The words were out of my mouth and ringing through the quiet coffee shop before I consciously decided to speak. "Four shot ten pump hazelnut mocha."

Tanya turned toward me, seeming to notice me for the first time. Her eyes narrowed on me and I had to fight the urge to flee.

"What, do you have Tourette's or something?" She was staring at me like I was something she'd found stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"Uh… no, that's his drink." I stammered, not sure why I had decided to draw attention to myself.

"You _memorized_ his drink?" Her over-tweezed eyebrows rose, and she smirked nastily at me.

"I make it nearly every day. It's the kind of drink that sticks with you."

She gave me another bottom-of-her-shoe glance and then turned back to Edward.

'So, baby, I was thinking we could go to the Rec Center and hang out by the pool, since it's so nice outside today. Then grab dinner later."

So much for the not-his-girlfriend assumption.

But Edward looked almost… pissed off.

"I can't, Tanya. I've got to finish some homework and then I'm heading out to my parent's house for dinner tonight."

_Burn. He totally just slapped her down._

Tanya stared at him like he'd just grown another head.

"You have a good day," he added, hooking in his headphones and tucking them into his ears.

She gawked at him for a few more seconds, but he seemed totally absorbed in his textbook. She got up and rounded the table. Leaning over next to him, her over-glossed lips pressed against his cheekbone and then broke away with a smack.

Her eyes darted over toward me and I quickly dropped my head, not wanting her to catch me watching them.

"You have a good day too, baby," she cooed at him, before flipping her ponytail over her shoulder and stalking out the door.

As soon as she was out of sight, I glanced back to Edward. He was frozen in place with his mouth open, a bright pink lip print visible on his cheek.

His head dropped forward onto his textbook.

"I'm sorry about her," he said, looking at me from where his head lay on the table as he took the headphones off.

"Well, she seemed… nice." I tried not to laugh at his expression.

"That's like saying nice kitty to a man eating tiger," he muttered, and I lost my fight against the laughter.

"So, not your girlfriend, then?" I pried, needing to be sure, and the look of disgust that crossed his face set me laughing again.

"No, not my girlfriend. I prefer them declawed." He got up, and brought his cup to the garbage. "And not coated in slime," he added, taking a napkin from the dispenser and wiping at his cheek.

"I could have just given you a new lid," I quipped, not bothering to hide my smile anymore.

"Nah, she might be venomous." He leaned one side against the counter, looking at me with those sparkling green eyes.

"Do you want another drink?"

He glanced at his phone and made a face before answering. "No, I have to head over to my parent's. My sister's texted four times." He bit his lower lip and my breath caught at the sight. "I really am sorry about Tanya. She had no right to be unpleasant toward you."

"Don't be silly, she's hardly the first of that sort I've had to deal with here. One of the hazards of working so close to a college campus." And I'd put up with Tanya coming around if it meant I got to see Edward every day.

"Are you working tomorrow?" he asked, almost as if he'd read my mind.

"No, I have the day off. I've got a huge paper due Monday and I've got to hole up and finish it."

"Oh." He glanced down for a moment, and then started gathering up his things. "I guess I'll just see you Monday, then."

He hesitated on his way to the door.

He pulled a scrap of paper and pencil from his bag and scribbled something on it before setting it on the counter. At the top of the paper, in a script that seemed too elegant for a boy, he'd written _Edward_. Under it… was his phone number.

"Uh, in case you get stuck. On your homework."

Was he _blushing_? I was too stunned to know what to say. I think I pulled off a semi normal smile and he turned to go.

"Have a good weekend, Edward," I managed.

"You too, Bella." His crooked smile dazzling at me as he backed out the door.

~o~

The rest of my shift moved slowly, with very few customers and no cleaning to occupy me. I ended up finishing my math homework, drawing pictures to help, and thinking of Edward the whole time.

The only interruption to the boredom was not altogether welcome. I was packing up my textbooks when I got a phone call from my mother.

"Hi, mom. How've you been?"

"Oh, Bells, it's been forever since we talked. How's school going?" Her question surprised me, as my mother usually jumped at any opportunity to talk about herself. Typically, we didn't have time to get around to me.

"Uh, it's good. I only really have one hard class this semester, and I'm feeling okay about it." I pulled my hair over my shoulder and played with the curls, twisting one around my finger.

"What class is that?"

"Um, math," I answered. _Wait, why are we still on me? Who are you and what have you done with my mother?_

"Oh, honey, you always hated math. I hope it's not too stressful." She paused for a second, but I was too stunned that she remembered how I felt about any subject to jump in with a response. "I was wondering what you were up to on Monday night?"

_Here we go._

"Well, I usually work until seven, but I should be free after that."

"Any chance you'd be able to get off a little earlier? I was hoping we could do dinner somewhere around six. There's this nice little Italian place down the road from me and I can make a reservation."

I sighed, careful to keep the noise from the phone. Reservations meant I was going to be dipping deep into the Renee Fund.

"I can ask my boss, mom, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow. She's got some family stuff going on right now."

"Oh, that's perfect, honey. I can't wait to see you. Oh, and there's someone I want you to meet."

_Oh, no._

"Mom, am I coming to dinner with you to meet a new boyfriend?" I was grateful the store was empty, as I'm sure my expression was a little horrifying.

"Uh-huh," she chirped. "His name is Phil and you're going to love him."

_I doubt that._ My mother's taste in men was atrocious. How she'd ever ended up with Charlie was beyond me, as he was far more stable than her usual sort. He was actually gainfully employed.

"Sure, mom." I could handle a couple hours with my mother and some social reject. I just hoped I didn't end up having to pay. "Hey, I've got to get going – I'm working right now. I'll let you know for sure tomorrow."

"Kay, Bells. Talk to you then!" Well, at least _she_ was happy.

I called Denise's cell as I walked out the back door and left her a message about leaving early on Monday. Then I shook off the worry, knowing there was no point in stressing about it until I actually had to.

Alice was gone for the night, and even though I didn't feel like going home to an empty apartment, I was _so _not going to the computer lab to finish my essay. There would be time for that tomorrow.

I took my time biking back to the dorms, as the temperature had dropped to a bearable level with the setting sun, and thought about Edward.

I knew his name. We'd actually had a conversation.

I let myself into the dark apartment, stripping out of my work clothes on the way to my bedroom. I pulled on a comfy pair of sweats and an old t-shirt.

He wanted to help me with my homework. He gave me his phone number.

I washed the makeup off my face and brushed through my hair, admiring the way the curls moved to frame my face before pulling it up and out of the way.

He wasn't dating the blonde. He said he'd see me Monday.

I walked through the apartment, turning on every light. Deciding it was just to quiet, I set up my iPod in Alice's speaker dock and set Debussy playing through the sound system.

He had smiled at me. I had made him laugh.

I pulled the slip of paper with his name and number out of my backpack and carefully programmed him into my phone. Then I turned on the oven and pulled the bag of flour out of the pantry. If I baked enough cookies, there still might be some left over by the time Alice came home.

* * *

They speak! *heart fluttering wildly*

Reviewers get my undying devotion - and of course a teaser of Edward's POV. Both are priceless, so PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. Lies, Love and Mathematics

Hey guys, sorry this is later than I promised. This chapter was kind of hard work, so I had to walk away from it a few times. It's also the last two weeks of the semester for me and I've had school obligations that have been sucking me dry.

Well, enough of me. Twilight characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.

* * *

**Chapter Four – Lies, Love and Mathematics**

**Edward's POV**

My hair dripped onto the carpet as I rummaged around in my closet, looking for something to wear that wouldn't give me heat stroke. It was barely noon, but I could already see the waves of heat rising from the pavement outside. I pulled a t-shirt off the floor. It was a favorite of mine, and it would piss Alice off as it was one of the few shirts I owned that she hadn't bought for me.

It was black and had four elements from the periodic table lined up across the front, spelling out the word _bacon_. I thought it was awesome. She thought it was obscene.

I pulled it over my head and grabbed the first pair of shorts I found, slipping them on as well.

A quick glance through Emmett's open door as I walked down the hallway showed that he was passed out face down on his bed. I hadn't heard him come home last night, though I'd been up late.

I'd watched TV for hours, even though the choices on a Friday night left a lot to be desired. I had just wanted to escape thinking about how lame I am. The second time I'd woken up with a jerk from a loud commercial, I decided I was tired enough and moved to my bedroom.

I woke up later than I had intended, rushing through my morning routine in the hopes that I wouldn't miss out on any time with my barista girl.

I had a goal today. I always function better with a goal in mind. Today, I was going to find out her name.

There was no doubt my mother was going to interrogate me as soon as I got to my parents' this afternoon and the first thing she would ask about was the girl's name.

I know, it was a lame goal, but anything more than that seemed unachievable, as I hadn't managed anything more than ordering a drink so far.

I picked up my backpack and keys from where I had dropped them the night before and left the apartment. I had to turn the air conditioning on, even though the drive to Java Jive was short. The lot was completely empty, and if I hadn't come on a Saturday before I would have thought they were closed.

I could see her through the windows as I walked up to the shop. She was on the stool behind the counter, seemingly lost in her own world as her pen swirled aimlessly in her journal.

She looked different today.

Her eyes seemed… bigger, somehow and bits of hair were fluttering around her delicate face. She was always beautiful, but she looked especially lovely today.

She looked up as I walked in, and bit her lip as her eyes moved over me. I dropped my gaze from her mouth, not wanting to start drooling, and noticed her journal was open on the counter.

_She doodles. That is so cute._

Aside from the swirls in the margin, there were a few paragraphs scrawled down, some sections crossed out and lines pointing to a different place on the page.

Before I could make out any of the words, she hopped off the stool and slid the journal off the counter. I realized I was just standing at the counter like an idiot.

_Good lord, say something so she doesn't think you're simple!_

"Hi," I managed, trying for a smile. _Oh, just brilliant. Way to wow her with your intellect._

"Hey, same as usual?" she asked, cup already in hand.

I tried not to wince as I imagined choking down another cup of liquid sugar. "Yeah, thank you."

I faced the windows and turned my head a little to get a good view of her in the mirror as she made my drink. Highlight of my day, pervert that I am.

She reached out and started pumping the hazelnut into the cup and the sight hit me like a fist to the stomach.

_Oh, good lord…_ Something was different about her shirt, too.

A strangled noise broke out of my throat as I watched it slip up as she reached, showing a sliver of pale skin above the waistband of her jeans, hugging every inch of her curves.

A soft mumble from her lips brought me back, and I glanced at her.

"I lost count." She threw the cup away as she spoke and took a new one from the stack.

Before I could turn away, she was reaching again. And I was lost, trying to remember how to breathe.

"Um, everything okay?" Until she spoke, I hadn't realized she had put the cup between us. I was extremely glad for the counter, as it hid my body's reaction to her. I caught back a burst of laughter as it occurred to me that I had no idea how I was going to get across the shop to my table.

"Yeah, just a little distracted," I answered, grabbing some money from my wallet to pay.

_Focus. You have a goal today._

Her name…

"I… I'm Edward." _Yeah, that didn't come out of nowhere,_ _you idiot. _"I've seen you pretty much every day for the last two weeks and it's just funny that I don't even know your name."

"It's Bella." _Bella. What an_ absolutely perfect name for my beautiful barista girl.

"Pleasure to meet you, Bella." _Nice, Cullen, she's looking at you like you're nuts._ I snagged my drink off the counter and slid my backpack off to hold it in front of me as I walked to my table.

She shuffled around for a few minutes, but I didn't dare look up at her. I forced myself to focus on the random textbook I had pulled from my bag until the words started making sense and my body had calmed down.

An incessant tapping noise broke into my concentration. I looked over at Bella and she seemed to be trying to murder her notepad with her ballpoint pen, a little aggravated crease worrying the smooth skin of her forehead.

I sat there for a few moments, watching her and wondering if I could manage another conversation with her. We were alone, so if I made a fool of myself it would only be in front of her. Worst case scenario – I would never be able to come back to Java Jive.

I decided to risk it, desperate to know what had her all worked up. I slipped out of my chair and made it all the way to the counter without her noticing.

"Are you trying to gouge a hole in that notepad?" I asked, surprising her. She looked down at the damaged paper.

"Sorry, that must have been annoying," she said, clearly thinking I was annoyed with her.

"Nah, I was just worried for the counter once the notepad lost the battle," I replied, trying to put a smile back on her face. I glanced down to check what had put that frustrated line on her forehead.

It was… math. _No way, my life cannot suddenly be this simple._

"College Mathematics – so you're a liberal arts major?" It was the class I had _'helped'_ Tanya with; the only math class required for students at the liberal arts college.

"Yes, English Literature. And for some reason, I still need to know how much fencing a farmer needs for his fields."

I couldn't help but laugh at the annoyance in her voice. "And here I thought that everyone needed to know that." I pulled her book toward me to read through the problem she was working on. The wording was convoluted, and I could see why she would have trouble.

"They make these questions so unnecessarily confusing. May I?" I held out my hand for her pen and she just stared at it. "Could I use your pen?"

"Oh, uh, sure." She handed it to me with a blush.

I drew out the pertinent points from the problem, knowing it would make it easier for her to see what the question was asking her to do. She caught on quickly, easily working through to the solution now that she wasn't lost in the words.

"First time for everything," she murmured. "I hate math, and it's never really made sense before."

"Happy to help," I replied, thrilled that she seemed to be in a better mood.

I wanted to offer more help, mostly because I would get to spend more time with her. It would also take care of the messiness that would come from lying to my mother. I was about to ask, but my phone chirped out from my pocket before I could work up the courage. I pulled it from my pocket and the screen showed it was a text from Alice.

"Problem?" she asked as I frowned down at the phone.

"Oh, no. Just my sister." And I'd deal with it later. I put it away and took a breath. It was time to stop being a pussy. "I, uh, if you ever want help… I'm pretty decent at math." So it wasn't exactly asking her out, but it did involve more time together.

"Thanks. You always seem pretty busy when you're here, though." She smiled up at me with those enormous eyes and breathing became an issue again. "I'd hate to cut into your study time."

"I really don't mind." I could hardly add that she already had my undivided attention most of the time I spent here anyhow.

"Maybe…" She seemed to be wavering. "Well, I have an exam the Friday after Thanksgiving and I'm kind of terrified."

"Let's get you un-terrified, then." I couldn't contain my grin. "We can study here, or go somewhere else when you're not working if it's too difficult to focus. I'm pretty free over break."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. I'm only scheduled for a few shifts that weekend, so I'll have lots of time."

"Cool."_ Lots of time. Together. That sounds fantastic. _Maybe we could start now_._ "Do you think you're okay to make it through the rest of that?" I waved a hand toward her homework.

"Oh, sure," she answered and my heart sank. "I'll just draw pictures, like you showed me."

"Okay, then. I'm here if you need help." She nodded and I turned to head back to my table.

I pulled my phone back out to read the text from Alice.

'_Why is mom going on about you and some girl you met at a cafe?'_

_Oh, shit._

They would all know by now. Well, maybe not Emmett as he was probably still sleeping off the excess of blonde from last night. But he'd know soon, too. And I would have to deal with my entire family grilling me about every facet of my mythical relationship with this girl.

But it wasn't entirely mythical anymore. We were going to be studying for her exam together, somewhere that wasn't this cafe. It was a start.

A new message from Alice flashed in under the first.

'_Why aren't you here yet?'_

Followed by another.

'_And why aren't you answering me?_'

I hit the button to darken the screen and set it on vibrate. I would deal with her _later_.

I messed around with a composition for the better part of an hour, but all too often my eyes would drift up to the mirror to watch Bella.

I'd only managed to scribble down a few lines when the bell on the door rang out.

What the fuck was she doing here?

"Tanya, what the –"

"Heya, baby. Miss me?" I think she was trying to give me a seductive look, but she just looked slightly spastic. Her hair was scraped back or something and it made her face look too tight.

_Yes, Tanya, I missed you about as much as I miss having braces. _But she was already talking before I'd managed a response.

"Anything good here?"

"Uh, the coffee…" What a stupid question. It was a coffee shop, what the hell else would you come here for?

And why did she even bother asking questions if she had no interest in my answer?

"Ooooh, what are you drinking?" She grabbed my cup from the table and took a drink before I could stop her.

"Ew. What the hell is that, E?" She'd left a big smudge of lipstick on the cup. I'm not a germaphobe, but that goo looked vile. At least I wouldn't have to drink any more punishment today.

"Four shot ten pump hazelnut mocha," Bella answered for me and Tanya turned to give her an evil stare.

"What, do you have Tourette's or something?" Tanya asked, nastily.

"Uh… no, that's his drink."

"You _memorized_ his drink?" Why was she being a bitch to Bella?

"I make it nearly every day. It's the kind of drink that sticks with you."

Tanya turned back to me, dismissing Bella as beneath her notice.

'So, baby, I was thinking we could go to the Rec Center and hang out by the pool, since it's so nice outside today. Then grab dinner later."

_Seriously? This is getting ridiculous._

And I had totally had enough.

This was no longer about me. So she was a total idiot, refusing to catch on to the fact I wanted nothing to do with her. So she showed up everywhere and tried to latch on to me like a parasite. I could deal with all that.

But there was no way I was going to put up with her being a bitch to my Bella.

"I can't, Tanya. I've got to finish some homework and then I'm heading out to my parent's house for dinner tonight." That might not be emphatic enough for someone as dense as her, and I didn't want her tainting the air with her noxious perfume any longer. So, I snagged my earbuds out of my bag and plugged them in. "You have a good day," I added, trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice, as I put the headphones in.

I kept my eyes on my textbook, waiting for her to leave. I started to relax when she got up, but stiffened when she only moved closer. Then I felt her lips slime against my cheek as she kissed me and barely stopped my shudder of revulsion. They left a trail behind like a slug as she pulled away with a sticky drag.

"You have a good day too, baby," she breathed against me, and I lost my fight against the shudder. I hauled in a breath as she walked out, relieved at the relatively untainted air.

I let my head fall down onto the table and looked at Bella sideways, worried she might be pissed. "I'm sorry about her," I said, pulling the earbuds out.

"Well, she seemed… nice."

I recoiled and she smirked at me.

"That's like saying nice kitty to a man eating tiger." And I knew from personal experience that Tanya was carnivorous.

Her laugh rang out through the empty store, immediately my favorite sound in the world.

"So, not your girlfriend, then?" she asked, a beautiful smile still on her face.

Just the thought of dating Tanya was enough to turn my stomach.

"No, not my girlfriend," I answered emphatically. I picked up my cup and moved over to the trashcan. "I prefer them declawed." I caught sight of the goop she'd left on my cup and added, "…and not coated in slime."

I grabbed a napkin and tried to clean the sticky stuff off the side of my face.

"I could have just given you a new lid." She seemed to be enjoying herself now, her smile brightening up the whole room.

"Nah, she might be venomous." I moved closer, wanting to bask in that smile.

"Do you want another drink?"

As she said it my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw the time, grimacing when I realized I had to go or they would wonder why I was late.

"No, I have to head over to my parent's. My sister's texted four times." I caught my lip between my teeth, remembering she deserved a real apology for the incident with Tanya. "I really am sorry about Tanya. She had no right to be unpleasant toward you."

"Don't be silly," she brushed me off, "she's hardly the first of that sort I've had to deal with here. One of the hazards of working so close to a college campus."

"Are you working tomorrow?" I asked, hoping I'd be able to see her again so soon.

"No," she said, and my mood fell further. "I have the day off. I've got a huge paper due Monday and I've got to hole up and finish it."

"Oh." I looked down, trying to think of some way to prolong my time with her. "I guess I'll just see you Monday, then."

I turned toward the door, but stopped when a thought occurred to me. She might get stuck on her homework between now and Monday. I grabbed a piece of paper from my bag and scrawled out my name and phone number, setting it on the counter in front of her.

"Uh," I stammered, nervous. "In case you get stuck. On your homework." I felt my face heat up and hoped she wouldn't notice. She didn't reply so I turned back toward the door.

"Have a good weekend, Edward."

I twisted back to face her and backed out the door, smiling at the sound of my name on her lips.

"You too, Bella."

~o~

The drive out to Paradise Valley was uneventful, which was a good thing as my mind was still wrapped up in Bella.

My parent's house was nestled into the north slope of Mummy Mountain, looking down on the palm tree dotted lawns of Scottsdale. I parked my car in the cobbled driveway and let myself in through the front door. My dad's office was empty, so I headed for the kitchen at the back of the house. I wouldn't be able to avoid my mother at all with my father gone, so I figured I'd just get it over with.

Alice was sitting on a stool at the kitchen island, and glanced up when I walked in. She took one look at my shirt and moaned, "oh, why do I even bother," in exasperation.

"Edward, sweetheart, we were wondering when you would be here," my mom said, drying her hands and coming to hug me hello. "I talked to Emmett and he said you were already gone, so we expected you earlier."

"Yeah, I got Alice's texts. I was studying at the coffee shop."

"Oh, with the girl from last night again?" A manic light sparked in my mom's eyes and I tried not to flinch.

"Uh, she was there, but she was working." I could tell she wasn't dissuaded by my terse answer.

"You could have invited her for dinner tonight."

"Mom, I don't know her that well…"

"Oh, well, next time then. So, what's her name?"

"Bella," I replied, grateful I finally had an answer to that question.

"Bella?" she echoed. Her eyebrows pulled together as she spoke and she glanced over at my sister.

I followed her gaze, wondering at the confusion on her face. Alice was looking at me funny. It was almost like she knew I was lying. She always seemed to know everything, like the little freak was psychic or something.

"Another trashy blonde, Edward?" she asked, hopping of the stool and opening the fridge.

"Uh, no… Bella's got brown hair."

I heard a snort from where Alice's head was buried in the fridge.

I loved my little sister, but she was damn annoying. Not that I could imagine life without her anymore.

I had been fourteen when she joined the family, a tiny little thing even at twelve years old. She had jumped at loud noises and screamed when someone touched her. Emmett and I hadn't known how to handle her. My mother just told us that Alice had a very difficult childhood and that we needed to be patient with her.

We had tried our best, the best that teenage boys were capable of, and she had slowly grown accustomed to us. She rarely freaked out now, but still had a really tough time with strangers.

She finally emerged from the fridge, a bowl of strawberries in hand, and sat back down at the island.

"Where's dad?" I asked my mom, hoping to change the subject before she asked more questions about Bella.

"He got called in to the hospital this morning. He should be back for dinner, though," my mother answered, setting a pan on one of the gas burners and flipping on the knob to light it.

I snuck up behind Alice, only managing to get one strawberry from the bowl before she elbowed me in the stomach. I ignored her and went back for another.

"Get your own," she growled, and our scuffling sent several berries spinning across the counter and onto the floor.

"Shoo, both of you. Out of my kitchen." Mom had a wooden spoon in hand and Alice and I quickly retreated out the big glass doors, still bickering over the strawberries on the way down to the pool.

I rubbed a sore spot on my chest where her fist had connected pretty well and kicked of my flip-flops before sitting with my feet in the pool.

"So, are you in luuuuuuuuve?" she crooned, settling down beside me with the bowl between us.

"Don't be silly, Alice, I barely know her." I couldn't be, could I? It took more than one conversation to fall in love. But she did have the most beautiful laugh…

I broke out of my thoughts and glanced over to find Alice staring at me.

"You have it bad, don't you." It was a statement, not a question, and she said it with a terrifyingly smug little grin. I instinctively acted to protect myself. I pushed her in the pool. And then ran.

I only just managed to get my phone and wallet out of my pockets before she got her revenge. I floated on my back, fully clothed in the pool. The day was so warm that the water felt nice.

Emmett finally showed up a little before dinner and joined us out by the pool. He was rubbing the back of his head as he walked down from the house and I figured my mother must have decided to 'deal with' him after all. He plopped down on a deck chair and leaned back.

"Sorry 'bout Tanya, dude." He actually looked genuinely sorry, which took me by surprise.

"Well, at least one of us had fun, right? How were the wonder twins?" I smirked over at him, and Alice made a disgusted noise.

"Meh," he shrugged. "They might be to dumb, even for me," he added and I snickered.

It always made me laugh that he attracted the brainless like flies to honey. It certainly wasn't that he was stupid, even though he tried to hide his intelligence behind that big doltish grin.

Emmett had graduated top of his class with a degree in engineering last spring. Then promptly pissed off our father by opening a car mechanic's shop with a buddy of his from high school. It wasn't that dad didn't want us to live our own lives. He just saw it as Emmett throwing away his brain to play at being a grease monkey until he got bored.

But he still brought his car there, because Emmett was a damn good mechanic.

And the business was doing very well. They'd only been open for six months, and the schedule was almost full. They'd talked about hiring another guy to pick up the overflow when it got to that point, which would likely be soon.

"So, are you and this Bella girl dating?" He slanted a look at me and I cringed. Our mother had obviously brought him up to speed. Emmett was _so _not going to buy this whole thing.

"No, just… helping her with math." I felt my face heat up as he raised his eyebrows at me. Not buying it. I pulled myself out of the pool and sprawled out on the grass by Alice to let myself dry off. Thankfully, Emmett let the subject drop.

Dad finally got home and Mom called us in for dinner. Meals with my family were always loud and animated. Mom kept peppering me with questions about Bella, wanting to know her major and how old she was. I answered the first and admitted I didn't know the second. Alice kept making pithy, cryptic comments about young love and I kept throwing bits of bread at her while Emmett laughed.

My dad talked briefly about the surgery he'd been called in for this morning. He looked tired, but happy, as the little girl who had been in a car accident had been improving when he had left.

I helped my mother bring the dishes into the kitchen and started loading the dishwasher.

"Do you want to stay the night?" My mom hadn't quite adjusted being an empty nester and always tried to keep us home as long as she could manage. "I'll make pancakes for breakfast," she bribed, hopefully.

"Sure, mom." There wasn't anything to get back to anyway. I didn't have any studying to do and it wasn't as if I wouldn't be seeing Bella tomorrow. Plus, my mom's pancakes were unreal.

And the joy on her face was almost as good.

"Do you want watch a movie?" Her eye's lit up even more. "I'll make popcorn."

I laughed and nodded, calling out to Alice that she needed to pick out a movie. She'd just veto anything I chose until it was what she had wanted to watch anyway.

Emmett decided to stay, too, and we all settled into the family room on the huge sectional sofa. My dad was asleep with his head on my mom's shoulder within fifteen minutes and Emmett and Alice were making up their own lines to cover up the sappy dialogue of the romantic comedy she had chosen.

I looked around the room at my family, considering how lucky I was. Sure, they were aggravating at times, but they loved me. And I wouldn't trade them for anything.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it! I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter up with all the school yuck going on, but if you review you'll get a piece of it to tide you over. It's worth it's weight in gold, trust me.


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